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The mysterious kavalactone content in traditional grind compared to instant

Pzk

Pzk

Kava Enthusiast
I wonder why instant Kava Kava doesn't have a much higher kavalactone content (the powder itself of course).

Lets say you have a strong cultivar with 10% kavalactones.

Now you make a kava brew and dry it. As far as I know and read, those instant powders are in the same kavalactone region ... 10% +/-

How comes? You extract the kavalactones by making a brew, leaving all the "roots" behind in the bag/mesh. Normally the dried instant must be higher in kavalactones. Then the higher price (double the price in EU) would make even more sense, then just because it is so easy so use.

I don't know where my mistake is, thinking about this issue?!

"Bang for the bug" wise, it doesn't make so much sense to order instant, especially if you do several washes with traditional grind...

I am close to ordering some instant, but somehow it is holding me back, thinking about paying double the price.

And I wouldn't just do it, because it is so easy to prepare... I love this instant made from fresh Kava roots...
 
J

Jean

Kava Curious
In the kava brew, you select the kava particle size with the strainer. The kavalactone concentration is the same whatever the particle size. However the kava is brewed in order to keep the particles with a good surface/volume ratio for the kavalactones to be able to leave the particle and be absorbed in the body. For an instant, you dry the brew with the selected smallest particles but you don't concentrate the kavalactones since they are not able to leave the particle and are insoluble in water. Hence, instant or not, the weight percentage of kavalactones remains the same.
 
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Groggy

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
Pzk said:
"Bang for the bug" wise, it doesn't make so much sense to order instant, especially if you do several washes with traditional grind...
Click to expand...
You may be right, instant kava is largely about convenience, however real instant kava is dehydrated fresh kava which is a whole other ball game. The only instant worth buying (imo) is GHK, or better yet, fresh kava (frozen from Hawaii) from https://puuohokustore.com

Fresh kava is worth every penny, specially the one above! I treat myself once or twice a year :)
 
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Pzk

Pzk

Kava Enthusiast
Jean said:
In the kava brew, you select the kava particle size with the strainer. The kavalactone concentration is the same whatever the particle size. However the kava is brewed in order to keep the particles with a good surface/volume ratio for the kavalactones to be able to leave the particle and be absorbed in the body. For an instant, you dry the brew with the selected smallest particles but you don't concentrate the kavalactones since they are not able to leave the particle and are insoluble in water. Hence, instant or not, the weight percentage of kavalactones remains the same.
Click to expand...
Interesting, but can't be true somehow, because when I have an ounce of traditional grind and do several washes, I have a comparable strength like an ounce of instant, but still I have f.e. 26gr leftover from traditional grind, while I have no leftovers from instant.

Also the lecithin issue, to make kavalactones more soluble could be a myth.

I thought they are soluble and extracted (while same time particels are in the brew also) but not so easy extracted.
 
M

Michael Nielsen

Kava Enthusiast
Groggy said:
You may be right, instant kava is largely about convenience, however real instant kava is dehydrated fresh kava which is a whole other ball game. The only instant worth buying (imo) is GHK, or better yet, fresh kava (frozen from Hawaii) from https://puuohokustore.com

Fresh kava is worth every penny, specially the one above! I treat myself once or twice a year :)
Click to expand...

Its my impression that instant kava from forney (nakamal at home epik kava and kavasocietys instant kava ) is made from fresh green kava.

There is at least a difference in taste when you compere medium grind kava and instant kava from those vendors.
 
Groggy

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
Michael Nielsen said:
Its my impression that instant kava from forney (nakamal at home epik kava and kavasocietys instant kava ) is made from fresh green kava.

There is at least a difference in taste when you compere medium grind kava and instant kava from those vendors.
Click to expand...
You are right, I forgot those guys...:)
 
J

Jean

Kava Curious
Whatever dried, micronized or green kava - you never extract kavalactones in the sense that you solubilize molecules in water. Simply because kavalactones are not soluble in water. To make a real extract, you need an organic solvent. Otherwise any instant kava powder made from dried brew wouldn't contain kavalactones anymore.
 
J

Jean

Kava Curious
Michael Nielsen said:
It probably easier to extract kavalactones from fresh kava compared to dry kava.

Instant kava from kava europe is made from fresh green kava.
Click to expand...
It seems that the availability of kavalactones in the body is anyway better in fresh kava particles as in dried kava particles. The brew is a suspension of particles in water and instant kava is nothing else than the dried brew, i.e. a suspension of particles selected by their size that has been dried and therefore in powder form. The word "solubilization" should be used for a solution, i.e. for a solvent other than water and able to (really) solubilize the kavalactones.
 
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